Computer Crimes

Reporting Internet Crimes

Are you the Victim of an Internet Crime?

The Irvine Police Department Computer Crimes Unit works in partnership with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). All reports that are filed on the (IC3) website, involving an Irvine victim or Irvine suspect, are forwarded to the Irvine Police Department. The Irvine Police Department then conducts follow-up investigation and determines the most appropriate investigative action.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, and local level, IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes. You may click on the website link below to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3):

Internet-related crime, like any other crime, should be reported to appropriate law enforcement investigative authorities at the local, state, federal, or international levels, depending on the scope of the crime. Citizens who are aware of federal crimes should report them to local offices of federal law enforcement.

The Irvine Police Department works closely with various federal law enforcement agencies. The primary federal law enforcement agencies that investigate domestic crime on the Internet include: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Secret Service, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) , the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) . Each of these agencies has offices conveniently located in every state to which crimes may be reported. In general, federal crime may be reported to the local office of an appropriate law enforcement agency by a telephone call and by requesting the "Duty Complaint Agent." You may click on the website link below to determine which law enforcement agency would be responsible for investigating the crime that you are reporting:

Cyber Forensics continues to increase as an important part of many criminal investigations. Today’s criminal is often found using computers, cellular phones, or other technology tools while committing their crimes.

The Irvine Police Department is working in partnership with the FBI and is a participating member of the Orange County Regional Computer Forensics Lab (OCRCFL). The OCRCFL does forensic examinations of all types of digital evidence, including: computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and GPS devices. The OCRCFL Forensic Examiners support Irvine Police Department, FBI, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and other police departments throughout Southern California with the examination of digital evidence in support of criminal investigations.

If you have a question in reference reporting a computer crime to the Irvine Police Department, please contact: